Sunshine Is Days Away
by jagaimo-chan
Summary: She just wanted a breath of fresh air to clear her sleepless mind. He was just looking for a tasty meal. However in life, things don't always go according to plan. Soon they find themselves getting much more than they bargained for. Demetri/OC
1. 3:41 AM

**Disclaimer: The world of Twilight and any publicly recognisable characters are the intellectual property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm just borrowing them and make no money with this fanfiction whatsoever.**

I haven't been in this fandom for years but I've read some (a lot of) fanfiction again recently and for some reason this has been ghosting around in my head. I've got plans to make more out of this story. Demetri is such a cool character and I think I've read most stories about him by now. Next chapter will switch to his POV.

"Speech"  
 _'Thoughts'_

Happy reading!

* * *

 **Chapter ONE**

 _'I hadn't thought of much when I stepped outside for a few minutes to get some air that night. Just a short walk to clear my head and enjoy the chilly night breeze. I suppose hindsight is always 20/20.'_

* * *

The air of the small youth hostel room felt humid, stale, and was thick with the smell of sweat and wet beach towels that were flung over the rails of the four bunk beds crammed into the small room. The girl in the bed beneath her was snoring softly. The rustle of a blanket came from somewhere on the other side of the room. She couldn't tell if anyone shared her insomnia. Suppressing a groan she crawled across the bed and climbed down the ladder, careful not to step on any of the phones that were clustered around the power outlets to charge overnight.

She unplugged hers and checked the time. 3:41 am. Brilliant.

This would be a short night indeed, if she'd manage to sleep at all. She tossed her charger and travel plug unceremoniously on the bed and tiptoed to her bag, pulling out a navy, Sherpa lined sweater and slipped on a pair of flip-flops before sneaking out of the room. The drop in temperature was instantaneous and she squinted at the brightly lit hallway. A breath of relief. She'd decided to step outside for a minute for a breeze of fresh air. Not that backpacking and staying at cheap hostels bothered her generally. She was young, fresh out of university, and ready to see the world. Not spending any lengthy amount of time indoors anyway, a thin, worn-out mattress, a shower, and a socket to charge her devices was all she needed from her accommodation.

And Wi-Fi, obviously.

Sharing a room with strangers had been an experience at first, especially since her friend Kate who she'd planned this trip with had to cancel. Her mom's cancer had come back and understandably, Kate had stayed home.

"When things get better again, I'll join you wherever you're at," Kate had said hugging her fiercely before she'd gone through security at Edinburgh Airport. Her friend had been fighting tears, probably at the thought of why she wasn't getting on a flight to Amsterdam with Olivia right now. Or maybe because they'd shared an apartment ever since they moved out of halls after their first year in London and hadn't spent more than two or three weeks apart at a time ever since.

Olivia's heart had fallen at the sight. Her perky roommate slash (study) partner in crime with short, dirty blonde hair and an inappropriate joke up her sleeve at all times was never one for sentimental gestures. Hell, since when did they _hug_?

"Soon then." Another light squeeze that told Kate the things she hadn't been able to put into words.

Yes, travelling alone across mainland Europe had been an experience, but a surprisingly good one. After the Netherlands, she'd crossed Belgium, France, and Spain. Olivia discovered that she was decent as a hobby photographer and started updating her blog again. That way she'd at least share her impressions. She skyped Kate a few times per week, usually from a Starbucks or her hostel when it had a decent connection. Luckily, her mom's condition seemed stable at least. Three days ago she paid a visit to the Serra da Estrela National Park before stopping at a small Portuguese town called Peniche that was popular with surfers. Kate was from Cornwall and had probably stood on a board before she could walk, winning a few regional contests when she was older. Olivia thought she might give it a shot and had taken some classes in the two days she'd been here. That it was much harder than it looked like was definitely an understatement but she could see why Kate had missed it so much while in London. It felt like the water washed away all the thoughts she preoccupied herself with, while travelling on her own. She still preferred running on dry land, though. Way more stable and predictable.

She made her way down a narrow staircase and through the lobby, unnoticed by the receptionist that had dozed off behind his desk. Outside she pulled her sweater over the loose, heather grey tee she was using as sleepwear along with a pair of black shorts, and zipped it up halfway. The air was chilly here at night, even in summer and she was grateful to have packed some semi-warm pieces.

Crossing her arms she walked briskly across the empty street and a few hundred yards along the pavement before she reached the wooden stairs that would lead her to the deserted beach. It was high tide as far as she could tell and she plopped down on the cool sand, just a few feet away from the water. The sound of the incoming waves allowed her to drift away from the world a little as she gazed up at the clear night sky.

" _Com li_ _cen_ **ç** _a_ _, posso fazer-te companhia?_ " a smooth voice asked softly from just a few feet to her right.

"Bloody he—," Olivia snapped her head around at the source of the voice, trailing off as she took in the figure that had joined her soundlessly. _Crap._ She hadn't heard anyone coming. Suspiciously, she eyed her new company, a lean, yet muscular man, probably around her age who was clad in a dark grey coat, black jeans and black leather shoes, trying to determine whether he might be a serial killer or sex offender. A girl can't be careful enough. Even from this awkward angle, her perched on the ground taking in his profile, she could tell he was handsome – or perhaps it was just too dark to make out any flaws – his dark-ish hair styled in this messy look that's supposed to seem like he didn't spend any time on it at all but in reality he'd probably stood in front of the mirror for about ten minutes pulling strands into the right place and finishing it off with a generous amount of wax. His eyes were fixed on the invisible horizon and his stance was relaxed, non-threatening, his hands buried in his coat pockets.

The hint of a smirk tucked at his lips, his voice tinted with amusement now, though words were perfectly gentlemanly. "Pardon me. I asked whether you minded if I joined you."

Still wary, Olivia shrugged. "Well, you're already here. Besides, it's a free country." One hand was clutching her phone in her left pocket and she was mentally going over some of the tips her Krav Maga instructor had given them. You know, _just in case_. She kept staring for a few more seconds before she turned her head to the sky again, yet not without observing him from the corner of her eye. He wasn't moving at all.

"Indeed. Still, the company of a lovely lady should not be taken for granted." She looked at him again, suppressing a dramatic eye roll, and this time he looked back at her, flashing a bright smile. Seriously, he _was_ handsome but did he have to be the type of guy that couldn't have a pleasant conversation without flirting?

"I'm lovely then, huh?" Two could play a game. Given he wasn't the next Ted Bundy that is. At some point during her university career she'd gained the confidence she'd lacked when she was younger. She was happy with her looks – dark brown hair framed her pale, freckled face, falling past her shoulders in waves and contrasting vibrant emerald eyes – and did enjoy a playful flirt. Something about his gaze gave her the chills, however, although she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. His eyes perhaps? In the darkness she couldn't make out their colour but she was pretty sure they were quite dark, a startling contrast his pale skin.

"Exquisite even," he replied. _'Uh, oh..'_ There was _definitely_ a double meaning in his words this time.

She tensed slightly, not enough to tip him off but just enough so she could jump from her sitting position and break into a run if necessary. He was roughly 8 feet away and the little wooden bridge that led across the slope between the beach and the street was to her left. She could make it.

' _Not everyone is a serial killer, Liv.'_

"Why are you here? Can't sleep?"

"You could say that." Amusement laced his voice again, but at least his unnerving gaze shifted towards the horizon. "You?"

"Same." After a few minutes of silence I added. "No AC at the hostel I'm staying at. Not exactly comfortable with seven other people in the room. Anyway, are you from here? You spoke Portuguese earlier but you've got no accent." She was rambling now.

"Just passing through, I'm afraid. A meeting for work in the area." His tone was conversational now, a definite improvement on the slightly – read: very – creepy way he'd called her 'exquisite' earlier.

Work. Something she'd have to figure out after she was done travelling. When she'd run out of cash.

"That explains your outfit then," Olivia said. ' _Yeah, you really know how to talk to a hot slash creepy guy.'_ He just pulled his eyebrows together inquisitively. "You don't look like you're here for fun."

His gaze wandered back to her, he seemed to muster her clothes this time. Right, she was in her PJ top, shorts and an old lumpy sweater. Hiding her embarrassment she just stared at the waves that were breaking a little further out now.

"And you are, I take it?" She could practically _hear_ his smirk.

"Yeah, just seeing the world, I guess, after an excessive amount of time cooped up in labs and libraries. I finished my postgrad a couple of weeks ago."

Perhaps out of curiosity or just for the sake to keep the conversation going, he enquired about her studies.

"Master's degree in computer science," she said. Since when did serial killers care about their victims' academic qualifications? He seemed interested, though, so she decided to elaborate on her specialisation in cyber security and how she'd gotten into programming. Her parents had always thought she'd be a lawyer and up until year 11 she thought so, too, but the new kid called Fred, a nerd that mostly kept to himself, quickly became one of her best friends and taught her some of his tricks. Olivia turned out to have a knack for it and spent more and more time behind the screen. At that time, she'd taken up running again, too, to remind herself that there was still an outside world. It was after graduation when Fred had moved to the States and Olivia had been preparing her move to London when a friend confirmed her suspicions that Fred had been madly in love with her for the two years they'd known each other. She'd _known_ but she'd never acted upon it, partly because his feelings were unrequited, partly because she _did_ like him as a friend, and partly because it was fascinating to learn from him and improve in her newfound passion. He'd gone on to MIT and last time she heard was at Silicon Valley now but she still felt awful stringing him along for her own selfish reasons. It was silly in so many ways. Silly because it was so glaringly obvious in hindsight. And silly that she still held on to her guilt after four years when he'd moved on. She shook her head as she finished the story, back in the present again at a deserted beach in Portugal, safe for her strange companion.

"It was not your fault," he said absently and shrugged. "He did not tell you either." He was looking away from her now. Following his gaze she could see that far to their right, the horizon wasn't invisible anymore. The sky was greying. "It's getting late." He was even quieter now, eerily still and solemn for some reason. Was that regret in his voice?

Olivia's reply was caught in her throat. That chill was back along with a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right about this man. He seemed otherworldly somehow. Part of her wanted to run away screaming, but part of her also wanted to spend more time here with him. He had hardly spoken but she had a hunch that he'd have much more to talk about if he told _his_ life story.

' _He's dangerous'_ , a small voice in her mind tried to reason with the rest of her brain and snap her out of her stupor. She could hear her blood rushing in her ears.

Turning around again, his face was an unfathomable mask, almost like carved out of marble. His eyes reflected some inner turmoil, however. Regret like in his voice, and confusion perhaps. Like he tried to silently tell her he was sorry, but didn't quite understand why he was apologising.

' _Get the hell out of here!'_

He held out a hand for her. It took Olivia a moment to register that he meant to help her up.

' _Don't! It's a trap!'_

As if on autopilot she took it nonetheless, fully aware that her voice of reason repeatedly banged her head against a wall in frustration. Her breath hitched as she registered the coldness of his hand, glacial was a pretty apt description, but there was more. A subtle tingling sensation crawled over her skin where they touched as he pulled her up with ease, their eyes never leaving each another. He was even more gorgeous up close. She briefly wondered if her face betrayed the chaos inside her.

Confusion, fascination, fear.

 _Desire._

He seemed equally confused by this silent exchange, albeit for different reasons. She watched how – as if in slow motion – he kept a hold on her hand and brought it up to his face, pressing a kiss on its knuckles like an aristocrat from a past century.

"You should return to your lodging now," he spoke so quietly, she almost thought she'd imagined it.

' _Hell yes, you should!'_ An inexplicable side of her didn't want to part with him, but without saying another word she turned on her heels and walked as fast as she could back to the wooden steps without breaking into a run. As she reached the top of the steps, she stole one last glance in his direction.

He was gone.

* * *

For anyone who's curious. The beach I was picturing in this is Praia de Peniche de Cima.

 **Serra da Estrela National Park** is a place I absolutely want to visit. It's the one with a lake that looks like a portal to another world. Look it up if you're unfamiliar with it, it's really cool!

Also, I hope I didn't completely butcher the Portuguese language. I tried my best using example sentences and dictionaries. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

As I was saying in the beginning, I kinda wrote this on a whim. Parts of it just wrote themselves in a way, especially from when she's telling him about herself (I had nothing about this backstory on my character notes, just her subject xD) I can't say that part of me didn't want to go for the surprise and have Demetri actually kill Olivia at the end but then I wouldn't be able to continue this.

Please do let me know what you're thinking, whether you wanna read more etc! As I was saying, I haven't been in the fandom for years, I'm not in any forums, so input is always welcome.

xXx


	2. Second Impressions

Soo I'm back. I meant to finish and post this for a while, and things just kept being in the way. A convention, flying back to London, that DAMN GOOD Game of Thrones episode last week (watched it 4 times I think), properly moving out of our old flat, starting on my new Daenerys cosplay.. I still need to figure out a topic for my bachelor's dissertation tho..duh

Anyway, thank you so much for the feedback, follows, and favourites on the first chapter! A special thanks goes to **Exotence, Lia Ciari, Missy Rain** , a lovely **guest, clarinetgoddess62,** and **christa33** who took the time to drop me a comment. Being a new author in an established fandom is intimidating and I love to hear your thoughts, especially as the story progresses. I feel a bit rusty writing anything but academic essays to be completely honest.

Also, the cover image is from Tegan and Sara's album "So Jealous." I was listening to it when I first came up with the idea (the title is a line from their song "You Wouldn't Like Me") and it does fit the colour scheme of the novels so I went with that.

One last thing, I don't think I've mentioned it but to give you a context, this takes place post Breaking Dawn. I'm placing it in mid-September 2016, since she Olivia just finished a master's degree which run through the summer in the UK. (I'm pretty sure, I'm an undergrad and looking for programmes elsewhere at the moment)

Long A/N is long. Without further ado, happy reading!

Chapter TWO

 _Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant._

 _\- Joan Didion_

Demetri cursed inwardly at his ludicrous behaviour. Had Felix seen him tonight, he'd probably suggest he was mutating into a vegetarian. He honestly should just turn around and end her. He was thirsty and she smelled exquisite. That had been the complete truth. It wasn't the first time a human had spilled out some of their life story before he'd cut them short, either. He relished the charming effect he had on most people, human and vampire alike, and made it no secret that he enjoyed the flirt and female company. Plus, arousal in his victims enriched the flavour of the blood beyond the tang from the adrenaline often present in their prey, which in itself was already a bliss. In turn, his victims often enjoyed themselves right before they died. It might be but a small consolation but it was one nonetheless. Jane usually scoffed at that, pleasuring human prey in any shape or form but then again, at her physical age she wrinkled her nose at most intimacy.

He still couldn't understand why he had spared the young woman. For a human she was pretty and seemed to be intelligent but there wasn't a single feature on her he would deem extraordinary. When he held out his hand to pull her to her feet, he'd still fully intended to go through with his plan. The thirst, however, began to become uncomfortable, so he buried any thoughts about her for later.

He still needed to hunt.

Careful to remain out of range of security cameras on businesses, he zipped through the narrow streets towards the city centre where the last partygoers stumbled back drunkenly to their homes or hotels. He singled out a lone girl no older than eighteen who leant her head against the wall of a sandstone building towering over an alleyway. She seemed to try and concentrate on typing a coherent message into her phone, a fruitless effort if her muttered curses were anything to go by. Before she'd noticed Demetri's presence he dragged her towards the back of the alley where they remained unnoticed, one hand clamped firmly over her mouth. She hadn't yet fully registered what had happened when he buried his teeth in a frail neck and finished her off. He couldn't suppress the low rumble in his throat, knowing how much more appealing his first choice would have been. Alcohol always tainted blood with a slight bitterness. Nevertheless, it _was_ satisfying and while he still had nearly an hour to dispose of the body and return to Felix and Angelica at their hotel suite before sunrise, he'd already been absent for much longer than expected and was in no mood for raised eyebrows or suggestive remarks from any of the two.

Angelica, a petite, red haired vampire who had been turned in her late twenties, was the Guard's newest and youngest member. She'd sought the masters out after her two covenmates had perished in one of the insurgencies in South Eastern Europe a few years ago. As it turned out she possessed the physical gift of telekinesis which she was still developing. Given that she was not yet half a century old and never received any formal training the scope and potential of her gift had gained her a temporary place in the Guard which may become permanent in due time. It was rumoured within the coven, that Aro was increasingly seeking extraordinarily physically gifted individuals, after relying heavily on powerful gifts of the mind.

Angelica, despite her aversion to the hierarchical leadership style which the Guard was organised around, had been happy to stay. She still harboured resentment against the upheavals that had taken her covenmates and hoped to, at the very least, prevent more tragedies like her own.

Demetri entered the nearly empty lobby of their hotel at a casual human pace. Keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact with the receptionist, much to her disappointment as he could tell, he stepped into the lift. Luckily, most humans were not out and about at this time of day and his now bright crimson eyes could remain unnoticed on the short journey to their shared suite. As the lift crawled up the storeys of the building his mind momentarily wandered back to the young woman he'd met at the shore. She'd remained in the same place for the last hour since he'd released her, presumably the youth hostel she had mentioned. Why hadn't her essence left his mind? Usually his gift was more of a soft background hum, trails of thoughts weaving a subtle tune, unless he focused on a target or someone was in immediate proximity. He wondered if she possessed some latent gift that could rationally explain this.

"Soo, someone's had fun tonight, I take it," Angelica's voice chimed before he'd even fully opened the door. She was lounging on one of the cream coloured leather sofas in the living room area. Her high closing black blouse was sleeveless and accentuated her petite figure. Flaming, shoulder-length curls framed her heart-shaped face and if it wasn't for the deep ruby shade of her irises the big round eyes may have endowed her with a look of innocence. Her gaze followed Demetri with a hint of smugness, especially when he refused to react.

Felix who sat across from her just raised one eyebrow, taking in his friend's demeanour curiously. Demetri may be the more reserved of them but he noticed that something was off about him.

' _Yes, what_ is _wrong with me?'_

"C'mon, you know you can tell us. You were gone over four hours," Angelica prodded, thin eyebrows wiggling suggestively. "Plus, you look like there _is_ a story to tell. This mission's been boring and today doesn't look like it'll be any better." She gestured towards the curtains that were halfway drawn. The sun had risen a few minutes after he'd entered the hotel and the sky would likely remain cloudless until late afternoon.

He paused and took an unnecessary breath, before turning towards the two. "Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Just a poor selection tonight."

It was obvious that neither of them bought the lie, but decided – not before exchanging a sceptical look – to drop the matter. For now at least. Then they discussed the details of their task at hand. The local coven had apparently created two newborns, human siblings apparently only loyal to one another, who'd been completely out of control. The spectacles they'd made of their victims had quickly caught national and international attention, drained bodies being hung from trees in public parks like baubles on Christmas trees, which necessitated immediate action. After catching the rogue newborns literally red handed last night, all they now had to do was planting some false evidence and forged documents with the human authorities and bring the responsible coven, just one mated pair, to Volterra for questioning. He almost wished they had made an attempt to run.

Except for a few minor squabbles in the East that had been quickly under control, punitive missions had mostly been routine in the last few years, nomads who'd lost sense of purpose after many centuries, newborns that couldn't be controlled, or plain carelessness and ignorance. He served in the Guard with pride but the routine could be dull throughout the centuries. If Angelica had not been new to the Guard and needed the practice in the field, the task would have been left to the two of them. As they concluded discussing their approach, Demetri politely excused himself and vanished in the adjacent room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

From the tone of their conversation he could tell that Angelica and Felix actively avoided talking about him, although at the moment, he couldn't care less. The human that so strangely preoccupied his mind still seemed to be at her hostel, possibly sleeping. He briefly wondered how it felt like being unconscious for such an extended amount of time before he drifted back to the encounter a few hours before.

When he'd caught her scent it had been almost difficult to believe his luck as he followed her trail and found her sitting alone by the sea. No witnesses, no cameras, no obstacles disposing of her body. If he hadn't engaged in a conversation she'd have been dead before realising she wasn't alone. Something had compelled him otherwise, though. True, he did sometimes flirt to make the hunt a little more exciting, but this had felt different. More alarmingly even, he'd been reluctant to part ways with her, despite his thirst and the imminent daybreak, and even now, miles away, he wanted to seek her out again. Solve this mystery she'd presented him with.

Outside, as the sun rose higher into the sky, the small town came to life, shops opened, the market was bustling, and cafés started serving breakfast. They'd most likely be stuck indoors for several hours. At the back of his mind he registered that the human – it frustrated him that he hadn't learnt her name, yet it frustrated him that he cared in the first place – was on the move now, driving into the town centre, judging by the speed and the direction she was headed. With nothing to do but wait for the sky to cover up he focused on her essence, following her as she stopped in town for a while, only about 400 meters from him, before getting into her car again to drive south.

Depending on how quickly their business would be wrapped up, he made a mental note to follow and observe her later, just long enough to figure out why she had such an effect on him. Most talents were dormant in humans and didn't perceptibly develop until after the transformation, suggesting that, should this indeed be the workings of a gift, it might change into something quite powerful.

Or perhaps he was losing it and she wasn't gifted at all.

By three in the afternoon, the sky was sufficiently covered in clouds and the three of them could finally set out to conclude their mission. Felix and Angelica kept mostly silent but he could feel curiosity in their gazes without turning around. Neither of them would let go of this anytime soon, not before getting an explanation, and certainly not after he'd explained himself. Any explanation on his part sounded utterly ridiculous in his mind. _'I spared a delectable human girl for no apparent reason and now I can't get her out of my head.'_

It was true, though. Even as he focused on his targets at hand, leading the small party to the pair's hideout, he was still aware of the human who was currently somewhere in the Lisbon area.

As expected, the two vampires didn't present much of a challenge for them. The pair, an Irishman named Arthur who was not yet a century old and his partner Cosette who'd been changed during the French Revolution, had some fighting experience, but as many alleged criminals that were visited by the Volturi they had realised they'd lost the game the moment they'd caught their attention. Stacking the dismembered body parts into a large sports bag to carry them back to Volterra inconspicuously, they set the run down hut on fire to cover any remaining traces that a pair of vampires had lived in here. It almost seemed like a permanent residence or at least one they'd frequented regularly, full of tokens of the century they'd apparently spent together.

To the surprise of his team, however, he excused himself again, tasking Felix and Angelica with the transportation of the alleged criminals while he was headed south. They'd had already dealt with the human authorities looking into the case, evidence now leading towards an organised crime ring with a history of violent killings. Angelica seemed surprised and Felix raised both eyebrows. Over the centuries he'd been dubbed the spoilsport on their missions together, with an almost single minded focus on their duty which he often attributed to the nature of his talent. When he was chasing someone he didn't like being interrupted. Whilst it was within his authority as the highest ranking guard of this mission he was only digging himself deeper into an inexplicable mess and he would eventually be confronted by his friends.

Waiting on the spot until they were already 10 kilometers east, he sought out a nearby car rental to catch up with his new target more quickly and unobtrusively. The tinted windows of the Audi R8 enabled him to keep going as the sun broke through the cloud cover again. She still seemed to be in Lisbon but he was compelled to catch up with her as quickly as possible. He was just outside the city limits when she was on the road again, southbound and accelerating fast.

As if she knew he was chasing her.

' _Don't be ridiculous. How would she possibly know?'_ There, the voice of reason. Mostly absent since the beach. His instincts both thrilled and outraged at the continued chase. He quickly recalculated his route to lead him around the city and followed her on the A2, leading west. Effortlessly weaving through the traffic, he caught sight of a red Fiat Punto with a British licence plate that had to be her car, right before they turned south again. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Now all he had to do was wait until her next stop and then… Yes, then what exactly? Stick to the original plan. Observe, solve the mystery. Ha! Because things had gone so smoothly with her last time.

She only stopped once to quickly fuel her car and he decided to do the same. It was too brief to gather meaningful information, however. Always a few hundred meters behind her, Demetri made sure he remained undetected. She'd been rightfully terrified when he'd released her last night and would be even more so realising he'd followed her halfway across the country.

The next stop she took was in a small southern Portuguese town named Loulé. She parked on the side of the road and entered a restaurant along the main road, located in one of the simple two storey buildings that flanked both sides of the street. She almost made it too easy for him, he thought as he made his way to the roof of the building across to listen in on her conversation with the waiter, who explained the menu to her in slightly broken English. She ordered a seafood dish with a salad, no wine as she intended to reach Sevilla that day. He could only see her back from where he was perched, her dark curls pulled up into a messy bun, but he could see how the waiter's posture slouched in disappointment when she mentioned her imminent departure. Demetri scowled at that notion, perhaps because she giggled a little too much in response to the boy's hapless attempts at charming her, perhaps because the boy had had genuine hopes, or perhaps because part of him wanted to be down there talking to her in his stead. Slowly he shook his head. He wasn't a jealous teenage boy. And he certainly wasn't jealous of some human boy waiting tables. Aro would probably laugh when he saw this through his memories.

She pulled out a small, dark grey laptop out of her bag as soon as the waiter left, glanced around the restaurant that was practically empty at this time, and made a Skype call. From his angle he couldn't see the other person on the line with her, but they seemed to be good friends judging by the way they spoke to each other.

" _Liv! How's it going, mate?"_

"Basically spent the day on the road." She went on talking about Lisbon which she'd already visited a few years ago and the drive. Demetri gathered that this friend had been supposed to come with her but he didn't know why she was travelling alone now. "Oh, I considered asking Jorge if he wanted to hang out, but I haven't spoken to him in over two years and I thought it might be kinda weird."

" _Jorge from halls? Right, he was from there, wasn't he?"_

"Nah, he's from Spain but he moved to Lisbon for a trainee programme right after graduation." She paused for a moment and he wished he could see her face. "How are you? Is your mom any better?"

Perhaps that was the reason Liv was travelling alone. Frankly, he couldn't care less about her friend's family issues. If anything, it was easier for him that her friend wasn't with her. But Liv seemed concerned.

" _She's not worse. I guess that's already much more than the doctors expected a few weeks ago."_

The conversation was quieter now. Whatever was concerning her friend's mother weighed heavy on his Liv. Wait, _his?_ Unmoving in his spot Demetri took in her every word, her little gestures, the way she fiddled with one of the lose strands framing her face. There had to be a reason he hadn't killed her last night. In fact, the thought of her bloodless corpse chilled him to the bone. The longer he observed, however, the more he thought about the chance that his hypothesis was false. Except for the boy who evidently had a crush on her, she didn't seem to have an extraordinary effect on anyone else. He admitted that she may not possess a quantifiable supernatural allure. At least none that affected anyone other than himself. The possibility thrilled and frightened him simultaneously. While it was not impossible, changes in a vampire's existence were so few and far between that it was usually the explanation of last resort.

Mating was a strange concept, really. In theory, vampires could choose to bond with someone, but from what he'd heard no one actually had a say. Within a short while you wouldn't be able to imagine bonding with anyone else and at this point there was no turning back. A subtle, gradual change, yet irreversible all the same. He'd never heard of anyone finding a second mate, or parting with their mate for any other reason than death. Demetri suppressed a shudder when he thought of Marcus's lifeless gaze, or the innocents they had executed out of mercy after their mates had been convicted.

It frustrated him that their nature would bind them in such a fashion, their whole life and happiness held hostage by someone else. It was strangely disempowering to an otherwise indestructible being. Her humanity only complicated things further, although it was not uncommon. Many of his kind had been changed by their mates. They just didn't make spectacles out of it like Carlisle's boy had in his absurd desire to keep his mate human.

However, he also couldn't deny that envied the kind of connection that mated couples shared. It was something deeper than romantic love and more than companionship, something that you could only fully comprehend after having experienced it oneself. And eternity was a long time to be spent alone.

He was getting ahead of himself, though. Another funny effect of mating for eternity meant that he had no reference point. Obviously not mated before, he had no idea what to look for when identifying 'the one.' Never having paid too much thought on it, he realised he didn't know what he wanted from a partner. He thought of her delicate freckled face again. A new plan was needed, one that would introduce them on better terms.

There was only so much you could find out from a distance.

Lost in thought he had almost missed her thanking and saying goodbye to the restaurant staff and he gave up his statuesque position on the roof. It wouldn't serve his agenda well if she spotted him and thought of him as a stalker.

The drive to Sevilla was mostly spent refining his plans to approach this woman named Liv that had captivated him in such a strange fashion. More direct interaction would either confirm or refute his suspicions. Only a few miles outside the city, however, the familiar red Fiat was sitting in a bay by the side of the road, flashing warning lights. He couldn't see any exterior damage so an accident was unlikely but she seemed to be having car trouble.

What had he made plans for anyway?

Without thinking he pulled over in the spot behind her. He fished a set of coloured lenses from his coat pocket and swiftly put them on, though that was where his common sense ended. Mechanically he opened the door and his steps were just a little too quick to belong to a human as he walked over to driver's side of her car. Struggling with the language barrier, Liv attempted to get her car towed. After ending the call, she seemed to become more aware of her surroundings and most especially himself.

Her head whipped around in surprise and suspicion but he instantly knew when she recognised him. Shock and utter disbelief were the most evident emotions on her face. Perhaps she thought she was just seeing things and he was about to reassure her when a look of horror took their place. She must have realised that this was not a chance encounter.

Yes, that would be an interesting conversation.

AN: This was a bit tricky to write to be honest. I'd planned out the content but the flow and pace never felt right. I guess because there isn't much action yet and it's really more of another introductory chapter setting the stage. Plus that first chapter really came out of nowhere and mostly wrote itself. Next chapter will have more action between those two again. Liv is not pleased finding out she has a stalker. Would you be?


	3. Riddles

I haven't realised until a week ago how long it's been. Don't actually have an excuse for that and I'm sorry. I've been sewing a lot lately but I've also binged a LOT of project runway. My bad. Anyway, I pushed myself to get this out finally. I will also fully edit the previous chapter in the next few days. I'd planned to do this when I upload this but it _is_ a convention weekend. If you're interested feel free to follow me on twitter (link on profile). It's kinda my fandom account (so cosplay, art, and writing) plus whatever catches my fancy.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who commented, faved, and followed this story. Especially my reviewers **YourAlphaWolf, Clarinetgoddess62, Eyilin, Missy Rain** and **potatoqueen.** Don't want to sound like a beggar but feedback _really_ makes my day!

Without further ado, happy reading!

* * *

Chapter THREE

"You can't be serious," she grumbled at no one in particular. Fate perhaps? Karma? Not that she normally believed in either of those. Just about an hour before reaching her destination of the day, Olivia's car had started acting up. After an agonising phone call with a local breakdown service, she leant against the head rest. It would take the tow truck at least 20 minutes to reach her, allowing her to wind down a little. She was exhausted. Not only had this been a long day on the road, she had barely gotten sleep last night, if any. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a movement outside her window, much too close to be a passing car, causing her to turn her head.

Perhaps she was getting delusional in her fatigue. Could she have dozed off and this was a very realistic dream? Outside was the handsome stranger she'd met at the beach. It had to be. It may have been dark, but those flawless and angular features were unmistakable. Making her feel drawn in like a moth to a flame despite every instinct telling her to run for the hills.

She didn't understand what he was doing here, though. How had he found her? In her head she thought of the traces she might have left. After checking out she'd paid in cash at the café she'd gone to for breakfast. She'd paid in card at the gas station, however. Could it be that he'd been tailing her all day long? Had her gut feeling been right? Was that his game? She felt sick.

"My apologies, I never intended to scare you," he said calmly, interrupting her thought process. He must have noticed the look of horror on her face - if there was one thing she'd never been able to muster it was a poker face. Her brother had been teasing her about that since she was about seven years old. Slightly in panic, she had to figure out how to bridge the time until the tow truck guys showed up. The street was deserted at this time of the evening. "Please, it seems like you're having car trouble. I only wish to help."

Was that supposed to be reassuring? For all she knew he could have sabotaged her car in the first place. It wasn't unthinkable considering he'd possibly followed her across the border. And halfway through another country. As inconspicuous as possible she locked the doors, cursing the clicking sound that it made. "I'm all right, actually. But thank you for the offer," she replied, proud that her voice sounded a lot less wavering than she felt on the inside. "Really, they'll be here to tow my car any minute now and I'll get a ride into town."

Genuinely seeming concerned though, he chose his next words carefully. "I realise my being here must be alarming for you, and I will explain this in time if you let me. For now I promise you, though, that I mean you no harm."

Olivia wanted to believe him. Not only did she hope for the best given the situation, he truly appeared sincere. Never the less, she had to ask, however much she dreaded the answer. "Did you follow me all day?"

The young graduate saw him hesitate for a split second. "After we parted ways I felt like… I just had to get to know you. I couldn't rid my thoughts of you. I picked up your trail after concluding my business and then I followed you for the last few hours." He trailed off, returning her scrutinising gaze. She was still suspicious, but honestly confused. Somehow, the whole situation seemed less threatening tonight, despite his very direct confession. There was also the question of how he found her. Admittedly, her card payment and the tolling stations did leave some digital trace, but it required some mad skills to get past those security systems.

"Picked up my trail? How?"

"Is this really a conversation you want to have through a closed car door?" His frustration seemed to grow at the continued awkwardness of the situation. When she opened the window for just an inch, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I already promised that I mean you no harm."

"Well, I'm not sure whether to believe you." She didn't even convince herself on that one, but she repeated the question.

"I'm good at finding people. It's what I do," he replied curtly. She could tell that there was more to this but she'd likely be disappointed if she'd press the matter further. It was her turn to ruffle her hair in frustration. What should she make of this situation?

"Did you sabotage my car?" The question just blurted out. ' _There goes my filter,'_ she thought. That he denied, visibly amused, as if he, too, sensed that she didn't believe her own accusation. "This isn't funny, you know. This is a rental."

That hint of a smirk grew wider, although he apologised. Silence fell over them, when something occurred to the fresh graduate. "Hey, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'handsome stalker' in my head."

"Handsome, huh?"

 _Bloody hell._

Not knowing who she wanted to slap more, herself for making a fool out of herself, or him for being so handsome _and cocky about it_ , she didn't dignify that with an answer. "Your name."

"Only if you open that door. It's a terrible way of having a conversation."

"No way. A) You creepily stalked me across the country, b) I don't know you and this isn't the most public place, and c) you probably know mine, so you can at least tell me yours," she insisted.

"You're wrong," he retorted, tilting his head slightly, a confused look which reminded Olivia of a puppy seeing its reflection for the first time. Like he was presented with an insoluble puzzle. He let his gaze drift to the sky then, still lost in thought.

Watching him stare up at the sky was inexplicably fascinating, making her nearly forget about her question. He moved with such an ethereal grace, it was positively surreal to behold. She caught herself again when he caught her staring. "Wrong about what? You looked for and followed me, so that does make you a stalker."

"I don't know your name."

Before she tried to make sense of that, however, a bright light approached her peripheral vision and she turned to the approaching car. It was slowing and she assumed – correctly – that the breakdown service was finally here. _Thank god._ And she made it alive with her stalker. Wasn't that what she'd been waiting for? Shaking her head, she grabbed her phone, her purse, and a half empty water bottle from the passenger seat before unlocking the door and stepping outside.

"I'd just assumed… never mind," she trailed off.

He took her hand with a startling swiftness, making her nearly drop the things she was carrying in the other, and blew and icy kiss on her knuckles, similar to his gesture last night. She'd been too much in shock to notice just how eerily cold his skin was. It sent a shudder down her spine. "Demetri. It's been a pleasure."

"Ehh.. I'm Olivia," she said lamely.

As she turned to retrieve her backpack from the boot and meet the people from the breakdown service, she stopped in her tracks and faced him again. "You're going to follow me again, aren't you?"

"Please, let me ensure you that you arrive safely at your accommodation. If you'd allow it, I would love to talk to you some more. Perhaps in an environment that makes you more comfortable. Or if you wish me out of your life, tell me and I-"

The insecurity in his voice threw her off a little and it felt impossible to turn him down. She suggested breakfast at ten at a charming looking place near her hotel, that she'd found on tripadvisor. Hesitantly, he nodded and suggested they exchange numbers, in case something came up.

What was she _thinking_?

After saying their goodbyes, she hurried to get the rest of her luggage and went to talk to the service to get her car towed and a ride into town as quickly as possible.

She truly needed a good night's sleep.

* * *

" _Gracias_." Olivia smiled at the server, as she sat down a small wooden tray with her café con leche and a portion of Eggs Benedict, before walking off with a warm smile. She stared back at the thick layer of clouds she'd woken up to this morning and sighed before checking the time again. With the drizzle that had just started, she was glad she'd left her hotel room a few minutes early, though she had still no idea why she was even here in the first place.

Rationally, she should have just cancelled the whole thing. No one in their right mind would indulge their stalker by going out with them. Not that this was anything but casual.

Was it?

It had looked like she would have broken his heart had she refused. _'What do you care, though? He's_ _a_ stalker _!'_ Her gut feeling, however, had been very different than the night before. He'd seemed less threatening somehow, although nothing about him had been visibly different and the deserted street had provided no sense of security like an open public space would. Not to mention that his behaviour was _beyond_ inacceptable.

"Daydreaming?", a deep melodic voice that unmistakably belonged to her strange stalker pulled her out of her thoughts. It made her smile involuntarily and she looked up to greet him, only to be rendered speechless for just a moment. Now that she could properly see him in daylight, handsome no longer seemed like an adequate description. He was extraordinarily beautiful with impossibly flawless skin and, for the lack of a better description, an almost glowing pallor, reminding her a little bit of the elves in _The Lord of the Rings._ Safe for the pointy ears. His dark blonde hair was richer in colour than she could originally make out and his eyes were a dark brown, though there was something off about them she couldn't quite put her finger ob. He dressed simply but elegant in an expensive looking charcoal dress shirt, the top two buttons left undone revealing the chain of a necklace or pendant of sorts hidden underneath, and an impeccably tailored light grey coat.

Catching herself quickly, she gestured for him to take a seat. "Good morning to you, too," Olivia said.

"My apologies that I kept you waiting," he said with that gentlemanly charm he mastered to perfection. "Good morning. You look lovely if I may say so."

Although she didn't lack confidence and she'd finally had the chance to put on a dress and some makeup – he'd so far had seen her in her ratty PJs and after a full day of driving on very little sleep – the compliment was spoken with such adoration that it made her blush. She tucked a strand of her curled hair behind her ear. "Thanks. You know, you're not so bad yourself. Oh, you're on time, by the way. I left a bit early because I didn't want to get caught in the rain." Which was true. Not checking the weather forecast she'd put on her favourite sundress, white with a subtle blue floral print and lacing in the back which may not be the smartest choice on a day like this but fashion wasn't always about practicality.

He was going to say something but was interrupted by the waitress who'd served her earlier. He simply ordered a cup of black coffee in perfect Spanish and assured the waitress that this was all he wanted.

"I'm not much of a breakfast person," he offered when he met Olivia's questioning gaze, once they were alone again. "I was just happy that you gave me a chance to talk to you. I now realise what kind of impression I must have given you."

Unsure how to respond, she took the ornate sugar jar and a spoon, put three sugars into her coffee, and stirred longer than necessary, carefully avoiding eye contact. Nothing about the whole situation made any sense to her. "Right. It's just…" she trailed off in search for the right words. "None of what happened yesterday makes any sense. You'll have a lot of explaining to do."

He nodded. "Of course. I promise to explain everything in time. For now I will answer your questions to my best abilities, as long as you allow me to be around you."

It was a promise. A promise to be sincere, yet at the same time, the gravity in his voice also guaranteed her that the part of his story he was omitting was not to be taken lightly. There was hope, too. That she would stick around to the end.

She cracked up. If she told her friend Kate of this, she'd ask her where to get thw stuff she'd been smoking. This was hands down the weirdest person she'd ever met, and everything about the last 24 hours puzzled her. When he moved to ask her about her outburst she simply shook her head, trying to regain her voice.

"Sorry, it's… Where do I start? You hang out at the beach at 4am, sober, and in a suit. You tell me you're on a business trip, but you somehow got time to follow me over 300 miles to a different country because… yeah, why did you follow me? To spend time with me? To be honest with you, I should have never agreed to meet you again."

He winced.

"But since I _am_ here, why don't we try and uncomplicate this whole mess? _Are_ you actually on a business trip?"

A nod on his part. "I was. I was able to wrap things up yesterday."

When he didn't elaborate further she asked him what his work entailed. _Finding people_ wasn't exactly a job. Head hunters looked for skill rather than finding someone's location and trailing them. "Wait, don't say anything. Are you, like, a secret agent?"

"No."

"Private investigator?"

He shook his head.

"A bounty hunter?"

Another negative. His smirk, however, had grown with each guess and to her surprise, so had hers. If she overlooked this epic clusterfuck of a situation, she found it easy to enjoy his company. It was effortless.

"I cannot give you specifics about my work right now, unfortunately, but in due time I will tell you more about me."

Again, there was a foreboding undertone which she wasn't sure she was particularly excited about. She buried that anxiety, though, for now. Maybe she could at least clear up a few mysteries today. "What makes you so sure there will an 'in due time'?"

He was going to speak but the waitress interrupted him, as she brought him his coffee, and once again asked him whether he'd like anything else, which he politely declined. He hardly noticed the way he enamoured the young server.

"I just hope there will be," he said quietly, as if it was as much directed at himself as it was at her, when they were alone again.

"Then tell me, why you decided to stalk me across the border?" Oops, this came out snippier than intended.

"I couldn't get you out of my head for even a minute yesterday and I hoped I could find out why that is. I—" He seemed to be looking for the right words again, though from the brief time she knew him, she could tell he was quite well-spoken, apparently in several languages. "You mystify me and I can't help but ache to learn more about you."

The intensity of his gaze, the soft lilt in his voice sent her struggle for her composure, but she steeled herself keeping in mind their past two encounters. A small smile stole itself across her face, telling him that the feeling was mutual. If anything, he _was_ a complete mystery.

"Will you answer me one more question then?" She didn't expect anything but a maddeningly evasive answer but it couldn't hurt to ask. He nodded for her to as away. "You know I do cyber security. _How_ did you find me?" Had he followed her to the hostel? Gotten her name from their systems? No, he hadn't known her name. Did he have her credit card details?

Before she could get any further down that paranoid wormhole he took her hand across. She was shocked again by how cold his skin was, and the surface of his skin, though she hadn't paid attention before was oddly smooth and firm. The gesture was soothing, though, as was his voice as he answered her. "I wasn't lying yesterday. When I said I didn't know your name. I also don't have any sensitive information about you."

"Then how—"

"I understand you'd track someone down that way, but my talent works differently. I can't reveal much more without saying too much I'm afraid. I apologise for speaking in riddles."

She nodded absently. For every answer she got, Olivia felt like asking ten more questions. So she went back to her half eaten breakfast in silence, pondering on what she was about to suggest. It seemed mad, but felt right at the same time.

"I don't get this. Or you. I really don't understand you. Had someone asked me to judge your character yesterday, serial killer and stalker would have been on my mind. But now? I don't understand myself here at all, so don't read too much into this. I feel like asking if you want to hang out the rest of the day. Casually. I was gonna explore the town a little. I mean, if you don't mind the rain. I need to grab a raincoat. Oh, did you know they filmed _Game of Thrones_ here?" Could someone please shut her up already. Luckily, he put her out of her misery.

"I'd love to." And that eager smile sent flutters through her stomach.

"Great."

Great.

What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

Love it? Hate it? Please leave a comment if you can spare some time.

Just a note at this point. In no way do I want to romanticise (or encourage :')) stalking. I know the novels kind of do, unfortunately. He'll get in more trouble for that throughout the story. And perhaps for general sneakiness, even if it's not his fault entirely, he's got crafty vampire abilities. ;)

 **NOTE TO MY FELLOW GERMANS: If you got time to read fanfiction today you also have time to go vote!**


	4. Not a Date

You know, I should just stop trying to find excuses for my sporadic updates. I'm aiming at updating more frequently than once a month. I really am. Maybe now that I have a cosplay winter break of sorts. Comic con last weekend was my last event until mid March (aaaaand I sat on the iron throne as Dany 8D). Haha I also try not to talk about stuff that's really not interesting to you in any capacity and I failed xD

Thank you SO MUCH for your support. Your favs, follows, and especially reading your comments really compel me to to keep writing this. Thanks to **Cassie-D1, Yuki Hakkai, Asmodeus Black, ZeeWee, Rene Mai,** and a **guest** for your kind words!

Disclaimer: As always, I'm only borrowing Stephenie's world and characters. Anything publicly recognisable is not mine and I'm not earning money with this.

* * *

Chapter FOUR

 _Is it better to have had a good thing and lost it, or never to have had it?  
_ \- Jennifer E. Smith

 **Demetri**

With a flustered expression on her face, the waitress retreated, trying to hold herself with grace while her heart was pounding erratically. All he'd done was bidding her a polite goodbye and leaving a generous tip, but then again, his kind did have an effect on humans even if he wasn't trying to lure them in. Demetri suppressed a chuckle at the irony of phone number that had been scribbled on the back of the bill in a small, neat handwriting. Most that did catch a vampire's attention wished they never had, for they didn't survive long.

Behind him, he heard Olivia emerge from the bathroom and approach their table, her footsteps which were soft for those of a human, the rustling of her dress as it brushed against her bare legs, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Turning to greet her with a smile, Demetri halted as he saw the accusatory expression on her face. He watched her follow the waitress who'd just vanished behind the take-away counter and him, eyebrows drawn together inquisitively.

' _Is she thinking I flirted with her?'_ No, she didn't seem jealous. Just annoyed. "You just paid, didn't you?"

"I did," he replied truthfully, not knowing what else to say. Vaguely aware that human customs were changing, he hadn't meant to offend her. However, his considerable personal wealth he'd amassed over the course of several human lifespans also meant that the constraints many young couples faced simply didn't apply to him. He could buy his companion a new car to replace her broken rental and it wouldn't make a dent in his finances. Not that she would ever allow that.

Letting out a sigh, she gave him a pointed look. "Well, you shouldn't have. I mentioned that this isn't a date, right? Not that you should've done that if it was one."

"Oh, I wouldn't forget that," he assured her. "It's simply no hardship for me and you did grant me the opportunity to see you again. After last night."

"Yeah, that. Don't get ahead of yourself there. I'm still not sure about you." It wouldn't be without difficulty to ease her suspicions, especially since he couldn't disclose much personal information about himself. It was too soon for the truth and it seemed cruel to drag her into his world without her understanding the ramifications.

"I understand," he conceded. "All I ask for is an open mind. Shall we?"

They left the little café together and followed a narrow, cobbled street, flanked on both sides by colourful three-storey buildings. Although it was overcast, awnings framed shop windows that were mostly displaying souvenirs, traditional clothing and trinkets priced far above value since tourists often paid no heed. To their left an elderly lady arranged beautifully crafted flower bouquets at both sides of the small corner shop's entrance. Two floors above her, a young couple seemed on the verge of a breakup. Despite his keen awareness of their surroundings, he only paid attention to the woman next to him who took in the scenery with unadulterated fascination. She only saw, heard, and smelt a fraction of his own sensory input but the world seemed to hold much more wonder for her. There was little that still stood out to him nowadays. And yet she did.

Gently, he nudged her, offering her his arm and she took it, much to his surprise. She still seemed lost in thought and it gave him hope that perhaps, albeit her reservations she felt the same pull towards him.

"Do you actually know where we're going? Because I have no idea," she broke the comfortable silence with a sheepish grin, still leaning into him. To an outsider they must have looked like an amorous couple.

' _I can't be the only one feeling this way, can I?'_ , he followed his train of thought from earlier. He felt like a fool. Humans were difficult to mate with, as bonds between them were much less stable, perhaps because they changed and adapted constantly. Vampires liked to see that as a weakness, but for the first time he came to realise that it may be a strength. They could move on from losses that their kind could not. Not to mention the issue of changing them.

He nodded his head, telling her that his work had taken him here before. There'd been a resident coven since the region had gained wealth and influence at the height of the Spanish empire, as much of the trade had been processed in its ports. Eleazar, who'd joined them in Volterra for a few decades in the late 1700s, had once been a member.

"You travel a lot for your mystery work, don't you?"

"Indeed. Not nearly as frequently as you might think, though," he replied, before gently directing the conversation away from himself. He went on to some of the more interesting tales he'd witnessed on his various trips to the city, shrouding them as urban legends.

"So… how did it end? Did the girls run off together? Got married? I mean, unofficially back in the days..unfortunately," she asked. She'd been hanging onto his every word. Never in a thousand years had he thought the superhuman senses and immaculate memor,y he'd been endowed with, would become useful in entertaining a human. At least in a setting that didn't involve luring someone away to drain their life.

He laughed. "It's just a story. Nobody knows for sure," he said teasingly. If his dodgy answers had taught him anything, his companion liked few things less than unanswered questions. Although, the truth he was hiding, she might like even less. ' _Too soon.'_

"No way, you tell me a story and give me that kind of ending?" she complained with an overly pouty face. "You're a terrible storyteller."

He grinned, knowing she was lying. "Quite the opposite. You're invested in this, I can tell. But tell me more, have you made any plans for today? I realise I may have thwarted them accidentally."

"No, I mean, sort of. I made a list because a friend of mine has been here before. She was an exchange student and used the year to travel around Europe for a bit. I also want to drive down to the coast but I don't have a new car yet. They said, they could—," she trailed off as her gaze landed on their intertwined arms. Straightening her back she focused on some spot ahead in the distance, trying to conceal her flustered face a little. "Where was I?"

"You know that you can let go if this is making you uncomfortable," he stated calmly, though he couldn't quite conceal his joy that at the very least, the thrall she had over him, seemed to be reciprocated. A thrall that went beyond the alluring effect that they had on humans. While he was still piecing the puzzle of _her_ together, at least the human body was as easy to read as ever and his senses spotted signals that she wasn't even aware, nor in control, of sending, from changes in her heartrate, perspiration, to the dilation of her pupils.

"Shut up, you're enjoying this," she grumbled, yet she didn't let go. "Seriously, stop."

He frowed at her, feigning innocence. "I did not say anything."

"I can _feel_ that _content_ look plastered all over your face," she contended, still looking ahead, her arm still locked with his. She was too prideful a person to cave.

* * *

After nearly two hours of touring the historic town they settled down near the river bank on a wooden bench surrounded by palm trees. The walkway in front of them was occupied by a handful of people, tourists strolling around somewhat aimlessly, a group of teenagers taking what they called a _selfie,_ and a few people who looked like they had somewhere to be. Next to a bin, some seagulls were pecking at something, presumably food that had been discarded carelessly. Olivia was cradling a large plastic cup that held some sugary, caffeinated refreshment, which they'd picked up on their walk here. Staring at the sky with a forlorn expression she was deep in thought, before she suddenly looked at him like she remembered something important.

"I'm so sorry. Did you want to have lunch? I didn't realise it was past two and I almost forgot you didn't have breakfast," she said apologetically.

Of course. Swallowing a grimace at the thought of human food, he knew he'd have to keep up his pretences for a little while longer if he wanted to keep seeing her. And he'd realised – hours ago – that he did. Her presence fulfilled him in a way he hadn't thought possible. Having avoided genuine attachment apart from his loyalty to his masters and the guard for most of his existence, he hadn't fully realised that he'd been seeking it. The pride in his skill and position and the pleasure from feasting and carnal pleasure may have kept him satisfied, but ultimately, eternity was too long a time to be spent alone.

"Don't feel guilty," he placated her, "we can pick something up on our way to the castle you wanted to see."

She still looked worried, however. "Are you sure? You gotta be starving. Is everything okay with you?" Without warning she grabbed one of his hands. The warm climate, as well as the cold beverage she'd been holding made the difference in temperature not as notable where they touched, but nonetheless worrisome in her mind. "Not to mention, your hands are always so cold—"

Gently, he squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I'm in perfect health, _carissima_ , do not distress over this."

"You sure you don't need to see a doctor? Sometimes we just try to tell ourselves everything is fine, because we're scared of the truth."

"Ah, ignorance is bliss, as some would say. I do have poor circulation, hence the symptoms that had you concerned, but you do not need to worry about my health." She seemed to accept this, albeit reluctantly, and nodded, assuring him that he could always talk to her. He was oddly touched by this, if for no other reason that he couldn't remember the last time anyone had been genuinely worried for his health. Vampires didn't get sick.

"Wait, what did you just call me?" she asked, as she was mulling over the conversation.

He couldn't hide the impish smile that spread across his face he leant closer, his cool breath tickling her just below her ear. Lowly he whispered in Italian into her ear, pleased as he observed the shivers he was sending down her spine, spreading like ripples on the surface of a lake. Feeling the intoxicating heat of her blood underneath her skin as she blushed in response to those sweet nothings despite not being able to translate them, he knew he was playing with fire. Satiated or not, the heat of arousal for their kind always came with thirst, although it usually subsided when the desire was stilled.

She managed to catch herself quickly, pulling away slightly. "You – no fair. You could read me an instruction manual in that language and you'd still sound sexy. How many languages do you even speak?"

"A couple," he answered, earning himself a glare in response. So he went on explaining that he lived and worked in Italy now, although his travels required him to speak a variety of languages, to which she nodded in understanding.

"It's kind of a shame. We learn a foreign language at school but I think we just assume that everyone else learns English anyway, so we're not that hard pressed to get fluent in a second language," she said.

"I could teach you," he said in response, "if you'd like." _If you let me be a part of your life,_ he silently said.

The reverence in his voice threw her off balance since she seemed to be struggling for the right words, or any words in general. Yes, humans took much longer to form bonds that entailed commitment nowadays, did they?

"Gee, thanks. But don't get ahead of yourself there." Gathering the skirt of her sundress, she stood and strode away from him. Before he made a move to follow she held up her plastic cup that only held some water of melted ice cubes and gave it a gentle shake for emphasis. "Chill, I'm just tossing this."

* * *

"Hey, I can't believe that paddle boat rental was already closed."

Chuckling, he shook his head. He scoffed at many things humans did to amuse themselves and his companion here seemed to be no exception to those.

Over the course of the afternoon he'd been told that he was living under a rock. Apparently, he wasn't as caught up with contemporary human culture and entertainment as he should be. He could not remember his exact age when he was turned but he must have been in his mid-twenties, not much older than she was now. She'd already promised she'd make him a playlist with songs he'd have to listen to. Apart from coding and music she seemed at least a little interested in politics and enjoyed reading, although she admitted watching more TV shows these days.

"We keep talking about me, though," she said, snuggling a little more into his coat he'd urged her to take earlier. The winds in the evening brought a significant drop in temperature, and it seemed she hadn't planned on humouring him the entire day. "I basically only know where you're from and what your name is and I know more about some classmates I've never even spoken to."

"Oh, but isn't that awfully like a date? You know, taking a stroll, getting to know one another," he teased, gaining him exasperation in return.

"It's not. Okay, maybe a little. But friends know stuff about each other, too. And I keep telling you things because I ramble. When I start rambling, stop me."

"But I find it rather endearing," he said softly, and added bemusedly. "So.. this makes us friends?" Friendships or loyalties that extended beyond a mate, and in some cases a coven, were very rare.

"Maybe, but you gotta tell me something about you first. I mean, don't you have a life outside of your cult-y, secretive work?"

"It's _not_ a cult," he reminded her. He'd already had to thwart her speculations of him being in the mafia or some form of criminal organisation, although, by human standards he supposed they did sometimes operate in a legal grey area.

"U-huh sure, I guess that's why you sign a non-disclosure agreement before you get your dark mark?"

"Is there something _you_ have yet to tell me about?"

Another one of those looks, telling him he should have understood that reference.

"It's nothing like that." _Technically._ She didn't know how right she was. "Just a confidentiality clause in my contract."

"Hey, _kidding,_ " she said, before grumbling "sort of" to herself.

"So what do you wish to know?" That brought a victorious grin onto her face and he could almost see her do a fist pump. She went from simpler questions like his favourite colour to his favourite dinosaur – she was appalled that he didn't have one – to questions like a childhood memory that he liked. It had been decades since he last even thought about his human life. He'd had a little sister who'd been particularly apt at pranking him and his brother behind the back of their parents when they were younger.

"Aww." Olivia tried to contain it, but it didn't take long before she was outright laughing at him, when he told her about an incident when his sister managed to convince their mother he was to blame for the lizard she'd put in their father's shoes. Many of his human memories were blurry and jumbled up, some events had just blended into one another, but random ones were still there, for no apparent reason. "Actually, I did something similar to my little brother, too. He deserved it, though. He broke my lightsabre and knocked over the cat tree in the process before our parents were even up on Christmas Day. I'm still not sure if the cat was more upset or me." They talked a little more after this, though the topic of family weighed heavier on his shoulders than he'd anticipated. Between his initial puzzlement with her, the surprising amount of joy during their time spent together, and the possible obstacles he might be faced with should he decide to keep her in his life, her sacrifice would – by far – outweigh his own. And it bothered him.

His rational half told him that maybe, it was better for him to simply return to Volterra. He wondered whether he still could. Hadn't he tried? Just yesterday, he had spent hours distracting himself only for her essence to reassert itself in his mind. Like a melody constantly humming in the background, lulling him in. Not even when focusing on his targets had it fully disappeared. More importantly, he didn't _want_ to leave her behind.

"You okay?" her concerned voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Yes," he nodded. _'I just don't know what to do with you.'_

"Well, this is me," she replied a little awkwardly as they arrived at her hotel. She made a move to take off his coat he stopped her.

"Keep it," he said, "my hotel is not too far from here."

"No, you only want to make sure you'll see me again, because I still got something of yours."

He gave her a sheepish smirk. "Guilty. No, please. The cold doesn't make me uncomfortable and you were shivering earlier. You still are."

"'Kay. Thanks. I guess," she paused for a moment. "I'll text you? How long can you hang around here anyways?"

He paused, not wanting to lie. He never knew when he might be requested back, whether the masters would grant him a leave of absence, or if should even ask for one. "I may have a few days. Just send me a message."

With a smile on her face she said her goodbyes and he bid her a good night in return.


	5. Sparks of a Flame

**UPDATE 04/03/18:** **Please see my profile for details. I will resume my work on this story as soon as possible. I'm nearly halfway through the next chapter, but my health has been suffering for a while and I only just realised that something was wrong and I needed help.**

It's been a while, huh? I hope you all had lovely holidays and a good start into the new year. I also hope you're still interested in this. I definitely haven't abandoned this story. Thank you so, so, _so_ much to everyone who's left comments or subbed/faved this. You rock. As always, Twilight and all publicly recognisable characters are not mine.

Happy reading!

* * *

The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

\- Oscar Wilde

Chapter FIVE

Sparks of a flame

Do you ever imagine yourself being the protagonist of a novel, only that _you_ would act with more forethought? Thinking you would never make those glaringly obvious mistakes that got them killed or at least in trouble? For some reason that this thought hadn't left Olivia for the past 20-odd hours. If her best friend was acting the way she was, she'd hop on a plane to drag her sorry behind back home.

As of this morning, she finally had a car again and went ahead with a day trip to the sea side that she had planned originally, only to return after about an hour of trying to make peace with her own thoughts. They kept going back to Demetri's enigmatic persona and all those little things about him that set her off. She felt drawn to him, yet simultaneously, instinctively perhaps, knew that something wasn't right. Something that lay deeper than his complete disregard of her privacy.

She may have been sleep deprived at the time, but the memory of that panic she'd felt the night she'd met him, when he'd told her to leave, was crystal clear. She hadn't slowed down until she'd been back at that hostel, her heart racing, although this kind of exercise shouldn't have exhausted her at all. She'd completed two half-marathons in the past year. Still, she felt drawn to him, wanted to solve the puzzle he presented to her, and increasingly, she painfully realised, she compared herself to the dense girl who wandered into the basement of an abandoned house in a horror movie.

So here she sat and waited. She'd parked around the corner of where he seemed to be staying, debating whether she should text him to meet her or whether to wait and see if and how he was stalking her. She hadn't noticed his car anywhere today, but there were more possibilities to stalk someone than physically following them around.

Impatiently drumming on the wheel, the young woman caved and picked up her phone. It was doubtable that he would give himself away so easily, which left her wondering, whether he'd even made contact had it not been for her faulty car. The thought filled her with nausea and ultimately gave her some reassurance that she absolutely had the right to know what he was doing, no matter how classified his work was and how little time they had spent together.

The second issue that bothered her was her own inexplicable infatuation hindering her judgment. Normal people wouldn't go after a robber, right? An assailant? At least she wouldn't.

A shadow in the corner of her eye snapped her out of her dismal thoughts and she didn't even bother with a greeting. "How are you doing this?"

"What am I doing?" he asked innocently, although she didn't miss the hint of a smile around his eyes. She wouldn't humour him. Not today. They could either move forward or leave it be. This game they, or rather _he_ was playing was driving her up the wall.

"Cut it. You know what I'm talking about? How are you stalking me? I even got a different car. Did you lurk in the shadows by my hotel this morning and see me pick it up?"

He cocked his head, still mildly amused by her insinuations. "Says the one on a stakeout."

"So, you did know I was here. How?" Albeit not surprised, she was agitated by the implicit confession.

So was he, as it seemed. He faltered for the fraction of a second, but assumed his effortless calm so quickly that she might have passed it off for a figment of her imagination, had she not been observing him closely. Demetri wasn't easy to read, his gestures and facial cues so subtle that they were almost imperceptible. Another bullet point that would support the theory that he was some super secret government agent.

"Well, you just confessed," he replied nonchalantly, his smirk growing a bit wider. She wasn't buying any of it. He _had_ made a mistake with his statement.

"No, you knew and you slipped up with _your_ confession," she pressed. "I'm not asking you to give up your deep, dark secrets. If you want to stay in touch and be on my good side, please tell me how you do it and stop, so I can have a good night's sleep."

Damn, that felt good.

He was hesitant for a moment, before yet again dodging a full answer. "I can't."

Huh? "Course you can." Unless she was on the hitlist of his super-secret organisation. Though she was sure she'd never done anything to warrant that. Probably. She wasn't the criminal sort of hacker. She decided to keep this musing to herself for now.

"Technically I could tell you, but I cannot stop doing it," he replied cryptically.

"Why?"

"It is impossible for me. When it comes to you, for some reason cannot switch my mind off."

She just looked at him incredulously. This was getting weirder by the second. "Then why don't you at least help me understand?"

"Because you would not believe me. At least not if I only give you a part of the story which is all I can offer without risking any consequences for the both of us," he said bluntly. He seemed legitimately concerned, too, throwing her a little off balance. Perhaps she was prodding at something she truly didn't want to know.

She turned her head slightly, silently motioning for him to get in the car. He obliged. This was not going the way she'd planned.

After gracefully slipping into the passenger seat Demetri shut the door, immediately hitting her with a wave of his intoxicating fragrance she'd noticed on his coat the previous night, making her momentarily forget her own frustration. Was it weird to ask what perfume he used?

After a few moments in silence he decided to pose a question himself. "So, how did you know of my whereabouts? Do I need to worry about sensitive information being misappropriated?" he asked calmly as he smoothed his shirt that was in a shade of old burgundy, which was the most colourful piece she'd see him wear so far. _'Right...because you've known this guy for so long. You're also spending too much time letting Kate do your makeup.'_

"No, nothing like that." She went on explaining how she just went by the clues she'd given him so far and had driven here, she'd spotted his car in the carpark next to the hotel. And yes, she _had_ memorised his license plate before. Just in case.

He nodded but said nothing.

"Back to what you said earlier. Why wouldn't I believe you? And what sort of consequences are we talking about?" She didn't like the sound of that. She'd come here in search of answers and with the request of an amount of privacy he was not entitled to.

"Severe punishment. It is not just my secret to share and you would have to be bound to keep it as well. This is not a commitment to be taken lightly," he said curtly, clearly unwilling to go into detail. "For the other part. It simply seems impossible when you do not know the whole truth."

Well, that sucked.

"Try me?" She watched him stare at nothing in particular, probably contemplating her request. "What could it hurt? Worst outcome is that I think you're a little delusional." At least, she tried to lighten up the mood a little bit. The gravity of this whole situation was taking a toll on her nerves.

He shot her a sceptical look. "All right. I have a gift, like a sixth sense you could say, that allows me to find people."

' _Oooookay.'_ Not what she'd expected. In fact, it almost cracked her up that he could keep such a serious face while he said that.

All right, she did crack up. At the very least, she felt a bit remorseful. She had insisted after all. "Can you read minds too?"

Apparently, he didn't seem to follow any of her logic. Nor did he signal that he was messing with her. "No, why would one follow the other?"

Now she threw him a sceptical look. "Yeah, right." She tried to think of something to say. "So, are there other mutants?"

That reference went completely over his head, when he asked her to clarify.

"I mean, are there others like you? With weird and powers like that?" She asked, just wondering about his response. As much as she told herself that he couldn't possibly be truthful, how did she explain what happened? Unless he'd hacked into her phone. And she didn't have any evidence for that yet. Perhaps she'd missed something when she checked her systems last night. It didn't help that nauseating feeling, however, that he somehow was completely honest about everything.

His positive reply should have come to no surprise.

"What are we doing, Demetri?" she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper. She wasn't sure he'd hear her. He did.

"I have been wondering the same thing."

"I shouldn't like you so much. So fast." _'Not to mention that apparently I'm into something way over my head.'_

That, too, he reciprocated. "Neither should I." There was resignation in his voice and she even saw him slouch, completely atypical for his usually impeccable posture.

"You know I'd actually made a plan to distract you and get some answers out of you, like in spy movies, but I'm realising that might not be the best idea."

He laughed at that, before turning to her with a serious look. "You are not ready for the whole truth," he stated matter-of-factly, making her wonder how long he assumed their little fling of a friendship would last. Would he follow her on the rest of travels? Back to Scotland?

"Do you think I'll ever be?" The exhilarating mixture of fear and curiosity still present. ' _What do they say about curiosity?'_ She may not be a feline but understood the message very well.

"It usually comes as a shock."

A long, uncomfortable silence followed. Neither of them knew what to say.

"You really should watch X-Men," Olivia said finally, trying to change the subject. "If we are going to be friends, you need to be a little nerdier."

He seemed to be lightening up at that.

"Can we take a few steps back perhaps? I really had a good time yesterday," she suggested. This whole conversation had not at all gone as she would have liked.

"Are you thinking of anything in particular?"

With a sheepish grin she took a flyer she'd spotted at her hotel's reception desk while checking out this morning from the dashboard and handed it to him. The look on his face was priceless. Healthy scepticism was probably the understatement of the year.

"An amusement park?"

"Aww I haven't been to one of these in years. It'll be fun!" She didn't peg him as someone who'd ride rollercoasters in his free time but he seemed entertained enough by her childlike enthusiasm to agree.

* * *

"You know, you really should get a matching hat," she commented, biting her lip to supress a full-blown laugh, as he exited the men's restroom in a tee with the theme park logo printed on the chest. It had started to pour down suddenly when they'd been on one of the water rides – which he'd already been less than enthusiastic about.

"Glad I can entertain you," he said in a light-hearted response, stepping next to her with such grace as if the unflattering garment was part of a designer collection he was modelling for.

"Aww, come on, we got matching outfits now. Doesn't that make it a little less terrible?" The short sleeves also showed off the firm muscles in his arms. She couldn't help but stare.

"Hardly," he said, though his laugh was genuine.

"You should be nice, you know. Or you're walking back," she retorted. In truth, he could probably just afford a cab which took the fun out of teasing him a little bit.

Cocking his head, as if doubting the credibility of her threat, he casually held out his hands to reveal a set of keys – her keys – he must have pickpocketed from her just then. How had he even got these?

"Oh, now you're a thief, too? Why am I even bothering—." In a rather pathetic attempt to snatch them from his hands she momentarily lost balance, although he'd already steadied her before she had time to react.

"You would drag me to this place and then leave me here?" he countered, feigning hurt. She put her hands onto the one that was steadying her, trembling slightly at the contact. She'd noticed his cold hands before but as her hand made its way down to his arm, the rest of his skin was just as icy.

"Gosh, are you sure you're all right?" she asked. "We could go back to the car and crank the heating up. The rain's pretty much stopped."

He frowned. "I am. We just got soaked, remember?"

Touching him was exhilarating – soothingly pleasant, yet unsettling at the same time, the smooth, unyielding skin acting as a reminder that he was…different. Her hand was tingling where she touched him as if tiny electric currents were flowing between them. As she ran her hand up and down his arm, she felt his muscles flex underneath and she jerked out of her trance-like fascination.

Silently, he handed her back her keys and motioned for her to go ahead. They made the way to the carpark in silence and by the look of it, he was trailing after his own thoughts as well. She had to bleach the thought his touch out of her mind because it only left her with wonder how it would feel like if there was _more_.

Back in the car, she was looking for a way to kickstart the conversation, anything to distract her. From where she sat, she was 90 percent sure, he knew exactly how she was feeling.

"Thanks," she said and she was met with confusion. "For today, I mean. I'm sure this isn't the type of thing you normally do but I had a lot of fun." Which was completely true.

"Believe it or not, I enjoyed it, too." He meant it, at least a little.

"You know you can be honest with me. I know it wasn't really your thing."

"I meant what I said when I told you how I feel about you."

She swallowed. "Look, I'd actually planned to go to Madrid today. It's the next stop on my list."

Her gaze was met with confusion at her sullen mood as it turned out. She'd been warring with herself over this since yesterday and frankly, what she'd taken from their earlier conversation scared her. It scared her because her gut feeling told her he was telling the truth.

"I don't know if it's a good idea if we go there together. Maybe we should—." She didn't want to continue and stared intently at the red light they were currently waiting at.

"Part ways?" he offered morosely. He seemed just as beaten as she was over the thought, which made it so much worse. "I do not want to part with you, but if it is your wish I will respect it." He spoke in a controlled manner, but there was clearly emotion underneath that he failed to hide.

"I don't want that either," she pressed, "but you've given me much to consider."

"I know. Would you consider staying another night? You could leave in the morning when you are better rested," he offered.

She frowned. That was a very wordy 'why don't you sleep on it' but he spoke a bit oddly anyhow. Although that was not the problem at hand. "I don't have a reservation for the night here."

"I can provide you with a room where I am staying. It is a decent dwelling given I arrived here short notice."

Olivia stared at him with wide eyes. Already uncomfortable with him paying for her at a restaurant – even if they were dating, that wouldn't sit right with her – this was simply too much.

"You will have complete privacy and I will not bother you. You would most likely not get to Madrid until past midnight. You already look fatigued and I do not feel comfortable at the thought," he explained, almost pleading with her, though he didn't seem to fully grasp her concern with his offer. Even though this was likely pocket change and he would never ask for anything in return, it still made her _feel_ indebted. Not to mention that her attachment to him spooked her. It was maddening.

"I appreciate it, really, but this is just too much. Who does that without expecting anything in return?" She hoped that she didn't sound accusatory.

"Should it not be up to the giver to decide what is too much? I merely do not want you to drive through the night on your own."

"I've travelled on my own just fine before," she snapped, harsher than intended.

He sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair in aggravation, visibly collecting himself before he replied. "I do not mean to undermine you. There is no shame in letting someone be concerned about you."

He was right, of course. Yet he didn't _get it_. The predicament she found herself in. He was holding all the cards. She felt attached to him and had no idea what she was signing up for. And his generosity made her feel indebted. She sighed. She was tired. Physically and mentally. Rest would hopefully help. So, she gave in.

"Don't think I don't know that you're getting out of it, too. You don't want me to ditch you." She was only half-joking.

He nodded. "I do not doubt your intelligence. I am only repeating myself when I say I would hate for us to say goodbye."

Olivia gripped the wheel a little tighter. This guy was shifting gears way too fast. They turned the corner to his hotel, which looked even fancier now that he insisted on paying a room for her. She pulled into a free spot and let out a long breath, before getting out of the car. Without asking he took her bags and flung them over his shoulder like they weighed nothing.

' _Show off.'_

As they made their way inside, a cool breeze made the young woman shudder. They were still partly wet after all. When she looked over her shoulder, though, she saw Demetri staring intently at a point behind her. She couldn't make out anything in the dark. Before she could ask he'd relaxed again and led her into an extravagant lobby, where he talked to the receptionist about accommodations for her. It didn't even bother her anymore that he was handing her a key card to a suite that charged more than her weekly rent.

The ride on the lift was brief. Apparently, both of their rooms were on the fifth floor. As expected, the suite was massive and lavish, although tasteful and modern in darker brown colours and warm, indirect lighting. An entertainment set was mounted to the wall across a comfy looking sofa. She told Demetri to just leave her bags there.

That moment in the carpark had left her with a queasy feeling and she stopped him when he bid her goodnight. "Wait."

"Yes, _cara_."

What? _'Focus, Liv!'_ "What just happened outside?"

He didn't answer straight away. "Nothing you ought to concern yourself over."

She scowled at him. This had not looked like nothing. "You told me I could let others worry about me. You should, too."

Demetri sighed and softened a little. "You are right. Everything is fine, though. We can talk more in the morning. Please try to rest." That was all she seemed to get out of him for now.

"You too," she replied.

After he'd left, she quickly showered and got into dry clothes, before making herself at home on the sofa. She was exhausted, but her mind was reeling. About their earlier conversations, the feeling of his touch, and the incident in the carpark. There was no way she could sleep right away. Worst of all, she didn't even know what to tell her best friend. None of it would make sense to her, especially not the part where Olivia believed in his ridiculous story.

Instead, she fished her laptop out of her bag and logged into the Wi-Fi, while browsing through Netflix on the TV set. Settling on a mindless sitcom she put her laptop back on the coffee table and snuggled into one of the blankets.

Midway into the second episode of _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_ , she dozed off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Yes, there's actually some plot on its way. Stay tuned. I hope the next update will be sooner. I'm in my final year of uni and applying for postgrad at the moment. Oh, and if you haven't watched B99 you're seriously missing out!

All the best,

J


	6. Snippets

**Thank you so much for your patience and the kind messages I've received from some of you. In case you missed the update on last chapter's AN or on my profile, I've been struggling with my mental health and couldn't really write for a while. I started this chapter multiple times and kept getting stuck. :/**

 **Anyways, thank you as always for your reviews, favs and follows! It really means a lot! Oh, and same old disclaimer still applies. I only own my OCs and the plot.**

* * *

 _Falling in love only takes about one fifth of a second._  
– From 'The Neuroimaging of Love';  
(published in November 2010 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine)

* * *

Chapter SIX

Snippets

Perched on top of the slanted rooftop of Seville Tower, Demetri watched the city beneath him like a hawk, his focus never straying from the hotel where his human companion was currently sleeping at. The scent of an unknown vampire hung heavily in the air around the building as they'd arrived, unmistakably someone had investigated the premises while he'd had a human drag him through an amusement park. He shook his head at the absurdity of it.

Since he didn't recognise the individual to whom the scent belonged, his gift wasn't as useful as it normally was. The trail had disappeared on the bank of a stream outside the city and he wouldn't take the risk of leaving Olivia unprotected any longer when blind to the intruder's whereabouts. Changing the strategy, he'd decided to make his presence known to the local coven and simultaneously probe their minds for any recent encounters with a foreign vampire. So here was, waiting for his old acquaintance who most certainly already knew that he'd been in town.

While keeping an eye on the city, his mind wandered to a different time. Somehow this day had stirred a long-forgotten memory, faded like a silent movie on a dusty screen. He was someone different then, someone he didn't recognise anymore and it almost felt like a snippet from another's biography. Human memories were strangely removed like that.

A young woman, it was difficult to gauge her age, dragged him to a wooden shed. She had black hair that was tied back with a ribbon and stole a glance at him over her shoulder. He had a feeling they were both giggling madly. A childhood sweetheart perhaps? His first love? That part of his memory seemed completely lost to him. It had been decades, perhaps centuries, since he dwelled on human memories, though they had plagued him frequently in the past few days.

He was uncomfortable lying to Olivia and tried to remain as truthful as he possibly could when she asked him about himself, which meant sifting through the fuzzy snapshots of a life he had long since left behind.

"I wondered how long you would make me wait," Demetri commented, when he sensed a second presence on the roof. Reaching out in his mind, he filtered through the mental signatures of vampires the woman behind him had recently interacted with.

A petite figure stepped up to the edge, about an arm's length away from him. "Speak for yourself," she chipped in a slightly accented Spanish. Beneath the glowing pallor of their kind Amira had dark skin and rich, black curls framed her round girlish face.

"You realise who you are speaking with," he warned, though he knew she was no one who was easily impressed. He had tried to seduce her, centuries ago before she was mated, but she'd never even graced him with a reaction.

Back in the present, interestingly, he'd picked up one unknown essence that seemed relatively recent, but he wasn't able to locate them anywhere. In most cases that meant said individual had been killed.

A chuckle drew his focus back to the woman next to him. "Are you here on official business then?" she asked casually, gazing lazily at the stars.

He glanced at her profile. "Is there a reason for me to be?"

"Not that we are aware of," she said casually. "We heard of the ugly situation in Portugal, though."

He left the last part uncommented. "I merely came to announce my presence in your territory for the time being. Out of courtesy," he replied, not taking his eyes of the city beneath their feet. "I do not yet know how long I will be staying."

"You should pay us a visit then," Amira said playfully. "Estela would be delighted to meet an old friend." He shook his head in amusement. Her mate, Estela, had been brought to Volterra by him many centuries ago, before Eleazar had even been part of the Andalusian coven. Aro had seen her potential even in human form as a talented, practising witch through a passing nomad's memory and ordered Demetri to bring her back to Volterra. There, she was transformed and initiated into the guard, but she'd been released from her service when it was clear that her gift seemed to be tied to the land she was born in. The young witch seemed to be less resentful now that she had found Amira, though still avoided contact with Volterra whenever possible.

"You know I only carried out what I had been tasked with," he said passively.

"Yes, Aro's infamous hunting dog. And now, luring another unfortunate soul into his little trophy collection?"

Demetri shot her a wary glance at her comment and mentally noted to accompany Olivia tomorrow, even if she ended up sending him away. He'd protect her from a distance until she was safe from his world at least. Amira's remark carried another meaning, however. If Estela had sensed her, it would mean she had a supernatural talent of some sort. The reason Aro had wanted the little witch in Volterra was her ability to sense supernatural beings – vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, witches, and others – as soon as they approached her territory. Even as a human she'd sensed him before he'd even entered her home to collect her. It had only grown in power after she returned home and no supernatural being could enter the city and surrounding areas without detection.

Before he could resume a neutral expression, Amira had caught on to his defensiveness and an amused smirk spread across her face. "You didn't know?" she laughed. "One more eternal bachelor who's finally settling down."

A low warning growl built up in his chest.

"Oh please, we're not going to harm her. As much as my little butterfly loathes your presence we wouldn't lay a finger on your mate."

His growl had subsided, yet the tension in his body remained. It was strange, hearing it said so bluntly by someone else. By now, he was certain that he had to have her and if he was honest with himself a part of him had known since that night on the beach – otherwise she wouldn't have survived – but he hadn't thought of Olivia as his mate yet. Not until she reciprocated the desire to bond with him in such a way.

With nothing more to say, he politely bid his farewell and took off into the night.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Olivia was still asleep, though her heart rhythm and her movements indicated that her rest was less peaceful than before. Pausing shortly as he walked past her door, he let her presence flood his mind, her essence engulfing him in a tingling warmth even through the shut door, making him feel like a lost wanderer who had finally found his way back home.

Without switching the lights on, he sat in the armchair in the corner of his suite across the hall and closed his eyes. He had to plan carefully from here on out, not only to prove his feelings to the woman who was currently still wary of him, but also to ease her into this lifestyle. No easy tasks by themselves, certainly not when his Masters were expecting him back shortly.

It was a challenge he hadn't expected to welcome. He'd thought he was content with his life in the guard, providing him with a sense of belonging and purpose, leaving him want for nothing. It was easy yet rewarding. He took pride in his skills and the nature of his gift took him far and wide across the globe. For the first time in centuries he truly longed for something that neither his masters nor his family could give him, a simultaneously frustrating and exciting feeling.

He smiled when he thought back to her speculations over his secret identity, though he was painfully aware that even those comparably harmless theories were more than likely reason enough for her to end their reconnaissance for good. There was no simple way to tell your intended that your first meeting was supposed to end in her death.

For the first time, he also resented the law he respected and had sworn to uphold. No matter which way he twisted and turned the picture, he was bound to hurt her. If he gave her a choice before disclosing all the consequences to her, it would be a choice made on a false premise. Yet putting his cards on the table would face her with the choice between impossible alternatives.

A loud _thump_ and a string of colourful curse words jolted him out of his musings over his predicament, though. Lines of worry etched into his flawless face as he quickly, too quickly he might add, crossed the hallway and knocked on Olivia's door. Her already rapid pulse spiked in response before she enquired, slightly out of breath, who was there.

"It is I, _cara,_ " he answered soothingly. "I heard a thud and worried for your wellbeing."

She paused for a moment. "Oh, well… I'm all right. Just had a weird dream and fell off the couch and then hit my head. I'm fine, really—" She trailed off awkwardly, trying to send him away but he was no less concerned as a result.

"Do you mind if I check on you?" he asked hesitantly, not wanting to overstep his boundaries, but the anxiety over her fragility too great to be dismissed. "Just to check on your injuries. I do not wish to intrude or make you uncomfortable—"

"Ehh, okay. Come in then," she said before remembering that the door was locked and tapping over a little clumsily in the dark to open it. Demetri stepped in with a soft _"grazie"_ and took in her tired and dishevelled appearance.

"You said you hit your head? May I?" Sceptically, she rose an eyebrow but nodded once, signalling for him to go ahead. He delicately brushed her hair aside, checking for any external signs of injury. While he had no specific medical knowledge, his keen senses allowed him to detect signs of trauma or internal bleeding easily. One spot seemed slightly reddened and tender but it didn't look like serious damage. "Are you feeling dizzy at all?"

"No," she breathed, shivering excitedly at his touch. "Seriously, I hit my head a little bit on a table. I doubt there's even a bump. I'm not made of glass."

"My apologies," he said, smiling at her remark. "I just needed to see that you were fine. I worry too much, I'm afraid." _'If you knew how fragile you are to me.'_

"It's alright." Unconsciously leaning into his touch, she looked back at him, causing him to stiffen. He was painfully aware that he hadn't thought to put contacts in first. "Are _you_ alright?"

Relaxing a little, he nodded. The room was only lit by a mix of moonlight and the street lanterns from outside, too poorly for her to see colours, he suspected. "I wish I could simply tell you everything, make you understand."

They stood there in silence for a few moments, before he changed the subject. "You should go back to sleep," he said, squaring his shoulders, and swooped her up in his arms with a smirk plastered on his face, leaving her slightly mortified.

"Woah, hold up—"

Striding swiftly into the bedroom, he gently sat her down on the queen-sized bed and pulled the covers over her before straightening out the sleeves of his dress shirt. Olivia just stared at him in utter incredulity.

"What was…that?" she finally said as he turned to leave. "First, you're like all reserved and then you do a one eighty and just carry me around without warning."

"My apologies." He couldn't completely wipe the grin off his face though, which seemed to ruffle her feathers even more. "You should not sleep on the sofa."

"Yeah, like you never accidentally fell asleep watching TV," she grumbled to his amusement.

' _Indeed, that has never happened to me,_ amata _.'_ He merely chuckled at that when another thing seemed to catch her attention. "Hey, why are you still dressed? Wait, no—" He was laughing now and sure enough he caught a decorative throw pillow that was aimed at his face. "That came out wrong—stop laughing at me. I meant, haven't you slept at all?"

His laughter ceased almost immediately. "I did not plan for that long a trip. I suppose I should purchase some sleepwear," he said smoothly. Not a lie, strictly speaking, but not satisfactory to her either.

Suspiciously, she narrowed her eyes but let it go for now. "Whatever, just sounds hella uncomfortable. We really need to talk tomorrow." Turning to her side to fluff up the pillowcase, she spoke more softly, a genuine smile gracing her features. "Thanks for checking on me. Close the bedroom door on your way out, yeah?"

" _Buona notte, mia cara_."

.

* * *

 **AN: I don't even know where that last part came from. I guess they got literally carried away. Let me know what you think! I'm aware Dem can seem a little bit soft here but I think with the way vampires seem to bond it's warranted. Just thinking about how Aro and Caius confine their vampire wives to the castle because of their paranoia.**

 ***grazie – thank you**

 ***amata – beloved**

 ***buona notte, mia cara – good night, my dear.**


	7. Stranger Things

**Look at who's back already! Thank you so much for your feedback as always. Twilight is still not mine! Wait, didn't I say the disclaimer applied throughout the story? And I keep repeating it anyway. Hope I didn't miss any errors in this chapter. I normally take more time editing, but when I finished, I was kinda excited to post.**

* * *

" _But love is blind and lovers cannot see_ _  
_ _The pretty follies that themselves commit"_

– _William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice_

Chapter SEVEN

Stranger Things

* * *

When Olivia came to, it took her a few moments to figure out where she was. The spacious bedroom around her looked lavish, even in the dim moonlight that peeked in through the windows. Having been on the road for a few weeks now she was no stranger to feeling a little disoriented from being in a new place every few days. Strangely though, she couldn't remember going to bed last night or even inspecting the entirety of the suite Demetri had insisted on booking for her. That was one of the things she would have to address when they talked. While she had to admit that she'd been in no condition to make another 5-hour journey that day, she felt very uncomfortable to have a virtual stranger accommodate her. It created a dependence that didn't sit well with her.

If she continued her road trip though, she would also have to decide whether they should keep travelling together. She had made it sound like she was firmly committed that this would be the last time they saw each other, but the thought weighed down heavily on her chest.

Without switching on the lamp on the bedside table, she sat up and crawled out of bed, wondering where she'd left her phone to check on the time. Before she got any further, however, there was something in the corner of her eye that caught her attention. Cautiously, she stepped closer to the window to get a better look at the dark figures in the garden behind the hotel. She couldn't see what they were doing but she instantaneously had a bad feeling about them. A dark, rotten aura hang in the air and as one of them turned around to face her she scrambled backwards until the back of her legs hit the edge of the bed.

Something was seriously off about these guys and she wasn't sure what to do. Without thinking she hurried out of the room and banged against Demetri's door. As creeped out as she'd been by him, there was the fuzzy feeling of safety that filled her when she was close to him. To her dismay, her calls and knocks went unanswered. As the young woman's panic hit its peak, she suddenly fell and hit the floor hard.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself on the floor, tangled up in a woollen blanket between the sofa and the coffee table, with sweaty palms and her rapid heartbeat reverberating in her ears.

* * *

The next day, as the sky began to lighten, the unease of the night hadn't fully worn off yet. It had been years since she'd experienced vivid dreams of this nature. With a groan, she dragged herself out of bed and went to find her water bottle that should still be by the sofa. She fished it out from a messy pile of a blanket and some throw pillows she'd created sometime between falling asleep and waking up on the floor.

A quick glance at her phone told her it was 7:06am. Unwilling to think about her weird dream and Demetri mysteriously knowing when she was in distress, she decided to get ready for the day. She wanted to stay busy for another hour or so, figuring it would be too rude to bang on his door this early when he'd checked on her in the middle of the night.

A look in the mirror also told her it would take a while until she got her hair under control. There was a reason she normally blow-dried it before she went to bed. _'At least it was dark last night when Demetri came to see you – Nope, wait, you don't care what he thinks of you, he's not dating material,'_ she reminded herself before getting her hairbrush and curling wand from her beauty case.

She put on her favourite Spotify radio channel, quickly washed her face and started to detangle her curls while she waited for her curling iron to heat up. It sure enough took her a while until she tamed the chaos on her head, the routine of it, however, calming her nerves immensely. After that was done, she brushed her teeth and put on a little bit of makeup, and got dressed. Then, she tidied up the mess around the coffee table, before she truly ran out of things to do.

 _Morning! Are you up? :)_ She texted and turned the TV on for some background noise while she waited for an answer. It didn't take long until her phone buzzed.

 _Good morning. I suppose an answer to this question is redundant now._

 _You fancy some breakfast then? Cause I'm starving._ Now that she thought about it, she could have done with a real dinner last night. She'd been stuffing her face with churros and ice cream in the park, hardly what one would call a satisfying meal.

 _I'm not feeling well today I'm afraid. Just knock on my door, if you still wish to talk, but I won't be able to accompany you to breakfast._ Her brows furrowed in worry at that text. From how little she knew of him, he was not the type to admit pain or discomfort easily. Whenever she'd been concerned about his wellbeing, he would reassure her that he was fine. Grabbing her key card from the slot by the door, she crossed the hall to check on her friend. They might not have been friends exactly, but she also didn't know an apt description for the confusing relationship that she had with him at the moment. He opened the door upon her soft knock and greeted her with a soft "Hello." The tenor of his voice warmed her up instantly.

"Hi!" she said, still concerned as she mustered him. He didn't look much different than normal, though she'd wondered about his extreme pallor and cold hands, even at pleasantly warm temperatures. A chronic condition perhaps? Behind him, she noticed, the room was darkened, thick velvet curtains blocking out the light. "I just thought, I'd come check on you. Is there anything I can get you at all?"

He smiled softly. "I do not think so, _cara_. I will probably do better in a few hours, though."

"Okay," she breathed, unsure of what else to say. She figured that he would share what ailed him once he felt comfortable enough to do so, so decided not to press the matter while he seemed unwell. "Just, please, let me know if I can help you at all, yeah?" She couldn't explain the intense need to comfort him.

He nodded, thanking her, and reminded her that they could still speak later if she was open to it.

* * *

Given Demetri's ailment, Olivia decided to stay in town at least until he got better. Despite her promise that she would leave first thing in the morning she couldn't bring herself to abandon him in such a state. It didn't feel right. Instead she used the morning to run some errands, picking up some healthy snacks and post some postcards to pass her time. She might even go for a run.

Texting Demetri that she'd be back soon in case he needed anything, she hopped into the driver's seat of her rental and drove to a grocery store a few blocks away, she'd seen on their way back yesterday. She simply couldn't afford eating out all the time, so she purchased some fruit, a packed couscous salad with some roasted veggies, and some granola bars, as well as a few bottles of water.

As she absentmindedly strolled through the bakery aisle, indecisively looking at the cakes and pastries, she bumped into a woman causing her to drop a box of cereal, of which she'd seemed to be reading the label. Slightly embarrassed, she mumbled an apology in her broken Spanish, picked it up and handed it to her before turning around, pretending the caramel brownies were the most intriguing thing in the world.

"It's quite all right, sweetheart," the lady replied in perfectly fluent English, causing the young graduate to shoot her another glance. The woman, she guessed, was somewhere in her thirties, had straight, dark blonde hair that ran to her shoulders and she seemed to be a little sunburnt. Smiling awkwardly, she turned back around and walked back in the direction she came from.

"You should leave this place," the strange lady spoke up again, this time a little more hushed and urgent, freezing Olivia in her spot. Incredulously, she whipped around and stared at her with a questioning gaze.

"What?" she mouthed.

"You heard me, darling," the stranger insisted, "I don't wish to scare you, but you're not keeping good company right now. I really don't want that kind of life for you, Libby."

Only her aunt Liza called her that. It took Olivia a few moments to be able to speak again. "Who are you and how do you know who I am?"

She looked regretful. "I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you that. If you don't believe me, then please, listen to your instincts."

Weird. Olivia was frozen in place as she watched her leave. It took a moment for her to regain control over her body and walk towards the checkout tills. She almost felt like ever since meeting Demetri, she was attracting the weird. She'd felt that something was off when they got to the hotel last night, not entirely sure what it was. For the first time in years, she'd been plagued eerily real dreams. Now she went to buy some snacks and a stranger, who seemed to know her told her to stay away from Demetri? Had she been stalking them?

Although it may have been just a coincidence, something was telling her these things belonged to her mental list she'd started on everything off about her strange friend. With a sigh she made her way back to the hotel, no longer in the mood to explore. Who knew what she'd encounter next?

On the way to her suite, she couldn't help the longing gaze at Demetri's door. _Listen to your instincts,_ the stranger's voice rang through her mind. Though, oddly enough, they didn't tell her to pack up and leave. She knew something was off about Demetri, she remembered the terror that went through her during their first meeting, the stalking across borders, and the evasive answers that set off inner warning bells. At the same time, though, something told her that he genuinely meant her no harm and she was drawn to him against better judgment.

She may have reasoned to not abandon him because he wasn't feeling well, but the truth was, she didn't w _ant_ to leave. What was she to make of this debacle? She thought to skype Kate, seeing how she was doing and distracting herself from her thoughts, but she wasn't online right now, so she sent her a text instead.

When a soft knock on her door pulled Olivia out of her frantic musings, a small smile stole itself on her lips. She jumped out of her seat, grateful for the distraction.

"How do you always know when to show up?" she asked as she opened the door, revealing Demetri who seemed sleek and stylish as ever. A subtle smirk graced his face. "Are you feeling any better?"

His gaze softened a little at her concern. "Indeed. I heard you come in a while ago and thought you might wish to talk."

"Sure," she opened the door further and stepped aside to let him in, motioning towards the couch. Yes, she'd told him she wanted to talk last night and she did, indeed, but she needed to sort the chaos in her mind first.

"Are you all right?" he asked, giving her a critical look. "You seem rather frazzled."

"Yeah, sure," she said and although he didn't look convinced, he let it go for now. She collected her thoughts for a moment and settled on possibly the simplest talking point. "I guess we should start talking about what we're doing here exactly. I know you'll keep being secretive and all that," she effectively cut off his attempt to interrupt here with a slitting throat gesture, "but we can at least discuss the arrangements that you made. I don't feel comfortable at all with you paying for my hotel room. And I had planned to be on the road again since yesterday anyway."

"I have no expectations from you in return," he reminded her.

"Bullshit, if you're paying I'm relying on you financially and I don't like that."

"So, what are you proposing?" he asked cautiously.

"I _should_ move on," she said firmly, although she'd miss him. The feeling was mutual it seemed. As she stared longingly in his hurtful orbs, she noticed something strange. Although the sun had slipped behind a bank of clouds now, the light from the window was falling onto his perfectly chiselled face, reflecting oddly from his eyes. Upon closer examination she noticed the rim of coloured contacts and even more strangely, she couldn't make out the colour underneath. It almost seemed like a dark maroon or reddish tint, though that didn't seem plausible to her.

 _Listen to your instincts,_ the lady's urgent voice echoed through her head again. Deciding not to comment on his contacts for and filing this new piece of information away with all the other weird things about her peculiar friend, she continued. "I do have a schedule for my travels and a reservation in Madrid at a hotel I can actually afford. I'm more than grateful for your attentiveness and it wouldn't have been save for me to drive all the way last night, but I'd feel more comfortable to pay for myself. I hardly know you and even if I did I'd rather split things evenly."

Demetri nodded in understanding. "Is this farewell for you? Or—" He trailed off, which was atypical of him. He was always so well composed.

Olivia swallowed the lump in her throat. It ought to be but it wasn't what she wanted. She told herself that it was her curiosity that fed into her longing to spend more time with him despite his words of warning the previous day. Despite that creepy encounter at the supermarket earlier. Despite better judgment. But telling herself would not make it so. She liked him.

She'd never been one to go for the bad boys, the delinquents, to express her rebellious side. She pursued what she wanted, which in the eyes of some may have been a rebellious act on its own.

"Can we talk about something else?" she evaded. Judging by the relief on his face, however, he was no stranger to inductive reasoning.

"About what?" he challenged.

"Eh, right, why did you act so weird last night? And don't you dare denying it!"

His eyebrows pinched together, although it was hardly noticeable to her. His answers, she'd realised, were always perfectly phrased and held another meaning she had yet to uncover. He was picking his words carefully. "I thought there was someone in the carpark who might cause us trouble, but it doesn't look like that currently."

"Cause _us_ trouble?" She blanched. "You know, if you have any enemies or a crazy ex, now would be a good time to spill."

He looked torn. "My work may sometimes oblige me to do things that displease others. I made sure you were not in danger for that reason."

Again, an evasive answer. Where she'd been sure that she didn't want to part ways with him yet previously, this revelation made the whole idea somewhat more attractive. She stared at the black screen of the wall-mounted TV. It was Demetri, who first broke the silence with a pained look on his face.

"If you want me gone from your life, _please_ say so. I care for you more than I anticipated and more than I can convey to you right now, but I will not force you into staying with me. I understand how frightening all of this sounds." He sounded desparate, though, silently beseeching her to stay.

She gulped, staring back into his sorrowful orbs. "That's part of the problem. Everything tells me that this is stupid and dangerous, but I don't want you gone. I'd miss you so much," she whispered the last part so quietly, but something told her that he heard it. The lump in her throat had suddenly doubled in size and her eyes stung painfully, although she refused to shed tears. She startled slightly at his touch on her shoulder, hesitant, silently asking for permission. When she leaned into his touch, he gently put his arm around her in a comforting manner and brought her closer until her head rested on his shoulder.

She let her eyes fall shut. His touch was so foreign, _no one_ had muscles this firm, and he seemed to radiate no heat at all, but his proximity felt good nonetheless. Not to mention, he smelled _heavenly_ , lulling her even further into the embrace.

They remained like that for a while until the subject of their conversation returned to her focus, sobering her up a little. She turned her head up to look at his face. He wasn't easy to read, though she felt with time she got more attuned to the subtleties in his expressions. "I know what you said about confidentiality yesterday but don't you think I have a right to know if I could be in danger?"

His eyelids dropped a little and he took a deep, controlled breath. "You do. I'm treading dangerous territory though. If my masters deemed that I broke confidentiality, I cannot protect you from them any longer."

' _His_ masters _? Creepy.'_

"I am trying to be as honest as I can." She knew that. It was frustrating nonetheless. And downright terrifying. If the snippets he was giving her were already scaring her, how terrible was the truth that had him sworn to silence?

"You said yesterday, they'd have to ensure that I kept the secret. Would they send someone to _kill_ me?" Her voice kept surprisingly steady as she spoke.

"There is another option," he said, notably not denying her question. Where was her survival instinct? Why wasn't she at the airport already? "You could join us."

"Join you—? The club you can't tell me about. And once I know that's basically my only option?" Suddenly cults like scientology sounded like a harmless book club. At least people had an idea of what was going on inside those.

He winced regretfully before confirming her question.

' _Leave. Leave and never look back!'_ She wondered if there was an outgoing flight she could still get on today.

"Don't you have to go back to Italy at some point?" she asked, not wanting to talk about her own choices.

"Yes," he said grimly. "They are expecting me back soon. Even if they do not order me to return, it would displease them if I extended my leave inordinately."

"And how long would that be?" she asked carefully.

"Another week perhaps," he said, suddenly deep in thought. "I have never had the desire to take a long leave of absence. But I can be ordered back at any time."

Would it not be better to say goodbye now? Before they grew even more attached to each other? She reasoned internally, never arriving at a satisfying conclusion. Neither of them spoke for a long time. They just sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company.

"What kind of cologne are you using?" Olivia blurted out of the blue. "You smell _so_ good."

He chuckled and shot her a knowing grin as if he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"What's so funny about this?"

Shaking his head, he replied cryptically. "Another trade secret, I'm afraid."

"Then I'm keeping that coat at least." If he couldn't divulge any state secrets, he could at least tell her the brand name. Or maybe it was like that fragrance the guy from _Perfume_ created. She shuddered.

"It's yours," he retorted seriously.

"I was joking," she said, confused.

"You can keep it, though. You should actually," he insisted. "You have never given me a clear answer, however. Do you desire my company on your travels or not?"

"Yes, I want to spend more time with you."

"But?"

Her eyes stung again and she got dangerously close to crying as she saw the well-masked anguish in his face. "I'm scared. Not of you, but of what you're hiding. That cult or whatever it is—"

"Per—"

"No, let me finish," she disrupted. "You didn't deny that they could come after me and I'm not ready to join something I know nothing about. Truth be told, I'll miss you terribly when I leave. But if we keep spending time with each other, parting will be even more painful."

"You do not believe there is already something powerful that connects us? That we would have to break regardless?" His voice was a mere whisper now, their faces inches apart. His sweet, yet earthy scent enveloping her completely. She wanted to _taste_ it. Without thinking she crossed the small space between them.

The kiss itself was gentle at first, innocent. His lips were firmer than hers, though lacked the odd, marble-like quality that the rest of his skin exhibited. She could feel his arms circling around her back and pulling her closer. They moved in perfect synchronicity, as if an invisible band had connected their souls.

' _Shit! What are you doing?'_

As she made a move to pull away, his grip around her loosened and she stared blankly into his eyes.

They were _black_.

* * *

 **AN: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think. :)**

 **In case you don't know the novel** _ **Perfume.**_ **It's about a serial killer who made perfume out of his victims.**

 **Also, I** _ **swear**_ **these two have a mind of their own. I hadn't planned this last part until at least next chapter! Anyways, next will be Demetri's POV again.**


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